Assistant Returning Officer at overseas polling stations
4.—(1) Subject to regulation 6, the Returning Officer shall assign one or more Assistant Returning Officers for each overseas polling station.
(2) An Assistant Returning Officer assigned under paragraph (1) shall, subject to the general direction of the Returning Officer, be responsible for the preparation for and conduct of a poll at the overseas polling station assigned to him and may, if he thinks fit, preside at that overseas polling station.
(3) It is the duty of an Assistant Returning Officer assigned under paragraph (1) to any overseas polling station to notify the Returning Officer without delay if he at any time becomes unable to perform any of his duties at that overseas polling station, in which case the Returning Officer shall assign another Assistant Returning Officer to that overseas polling station.
(4) If there is insufficient time for another Assistant Returning Officer to be assigned by the Returning Officer to that overseas polling station, the Assistant Returning Officer who is unable to perform his duties at that overseas polling station may appoint any presiding officer at that overseas polling station to act for him until the assignment of a new Assistant Returning Officer or until he becomes able to act.
Presiding officers at overseas polling stations
5.—(1) Subject to regulation 6, after the issue of the writ, the Returning Officer shall appoint the following officers for each overseas polling station:
(a)
one or more presiding officers whom the Assistant Returning Officer assigned to that overseas polling station considers necessary, provided that the Returning Officer approves of their number and the presiding officer is not disqualified under regulation 6;
(b)
if more than one presiding officer is so appointed, a senior presiding officer from one of them to exercise general supervision over all other presiding officers and over all arrangements for the conduct of the poll at that overseas polling station; and
(c)
one or more persons responsible for maintaining order within the overseas polling station, provided that the Returning Officer approves of their number and the person is not disqualified under regulation 6.
(2) Every presiding officer appointed under paragraph (1) for an overseas polling station shall perform his duties in connection with the conduct of a poll at the overseas polling station under the general direction of the Assistant Returning Officer assigned to that overseas polling station.
(3) The duties of every presiding officer appointed under paragraph (1) in connection with the conduct of a poll at an overseas polling station are —
(a)
to keep order in his overseas polling station;
(b)
to regulate the number of voters to be admitted at a time;
(c)
to exclude all persons not authorised by the Act or these Regulations to be present at the overseas polling station during the poll;
(d)
to supervise proceedings at the poll; and
(e)
to keep the Assistant Returning Officer informed of any matter that adversely affects, or is likely to adversely affect, the orderly conduct of those proceedings at the poll.
(4) It is the duty of a presiding officer appointed under paragraph (1) to any overseas polling station to notify the Assistant Returning Officer without delay if he at any time becomes unable to perform any of his duties at that overseas polling station, in which case the Assistant Returning Officer shall then appoint another person not disqualified under regulation 6 as a presiding officer at that overseas polling station.
(5) If there is insufficient time for another presiding officer to be appointed by the Assistant Returning Officer under paragraph (4), the presiding officer who is unable to perform his duties at that overseas polling station may appoint a substitute (who is also not disqualified under regulation 6) to act for him until the appointment of a new presiding officer or until he becomes able to act.
Who cannot be overseas election officers
6. The following persons shall not be assigned or appointed as an overseas election officer under any provision in these Regulations:
(a)
an Ambassador, a High Commissioner, Consul-General or Consul, who is not an officer in the public service of Singapore;
(b)
a person who has served in Parliament in the session immediately before the election or in the session in progress at the time of the election; and
(c)
a person who is not a citizen of Singapore.
Oath of secrecy
7.—(1) Before assuming duties at any overseas polling station, every overseas election officer shall make an oath of secrecy in accordance with section 56 of the Act.
(2) The Assistant Returning Officer assigned to an overseas polling station shall, without delay after the notice of contested election is published in the Gazette, send his oath, and the oaths of every election officer appointed to that overseas polling station, to the Returning Officer in Singapore.